School's Out For Summer!

When I was a little girl, I can remember pretending for hours on end. I would be a teacher, a doctor, an office worker, a banker, a QVC host (yes, really)..... but the common denominator between all of these, was that I was always a MOM. I was a mom who worked. And while that was fine, my ultimate dream was to just be a mom: a mom with babies.

I can remember talking about future careers that we talked about in school and in girl scouts as we were growing up, and friends had aspirations of making lots of money: doctors, laywers, veterinarians, police officers, president even! (I also secretly laugh as I think back, because in real life, none of these jobs are the just sit-back-and-watch-the-money-roll-in jobs that we seemed to think they were. I can remember one police officer coming to speak at our middle school and when asked how much an officer makes, I believe his figure was something like, $32,000 per year. We gave a "wowwwwww" noise.

Now I am a grown-up. With bills. And kids. And a mortgage. And I get it.

What I also get is that no amount of money can truly satisfy you like when you know you are walking in God's plan for your life. When you give things over to Him, not even fully understanding the HOWs of it all, it can be scary! I'm there.

As of today, I'm taking the summer off from KCA. Eeek! Yay! Huh?

This is a decision that has been many months (dare I admit, years?) in the prayer process. For starters, what I GET to do at KCA is nothing short of a blessing. I love it. I love the people I work with. I love people who have come and gone through the years. I love families I've grown to know and love as my own. I love seeing kids of years past who have grown (over night!) up and are now finishing high school and becoming adults. It's crazy the blessings I've had over the last 12 years. CRAZY! I've worked here since before I graduate college, and it's home. I'm not "leaving," by any means... just.... stepping back for a bit.

I'm at this point in life where, my kids are young. Did you know...they won't always be young?! Crazy, right?

I look at Norah, a now 4-year-old, and I'm thinking, "Did I not just find out that I'm pregnant?" It makes my head spin.

It's like, even as you're passing through all of these stages in life, you never really realize how quickly life is moving until you're a parent. At least, that's the case for me. They say "the days are long but the years fly by." Could that BE any more true? (You're welcome, F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans.)

All that to say, my girls are young, and I figure that if I'm ever going to get to be "just a mom," it's this tiny blip of time; It has to be now. Norah will be in kindergarten before I know it and I'll be ready to start Madeline in preschool. Babies don't keep, ya'll!

But, now's the time.

I'm anxious. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm a little fearful. But, mostly, I'm thrilled. I know being a stay-at-home mom isn't a cake walk. I know there will be days that I'll want to sell them off for parts. But I also know that my time with them is precious. THEY are my greatest work in life right now and I want to BE with them a little more. I love the quote that says, "Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise." Wow. What a beautifully, terrifying blessing!

I pray that my girls will do HUGE things for God. I pray that their hearts will confess Him as their Savior as soon as they realize they need one. I pray that they will lead lives sold-out to His calling for them and that they will share their love of Him with everyone they meet. I pray that they are always near at least one Godly friend who will keep them in line when they need it...because I also have enough sense to recognize that they WILL need more than a few "Come to Jesus" talks. I pray that their future spouses and children will be covered in these prayers as well by their future mothers-in-law. I trust that they will be able to not only recognize the voice of God, but follow it with their whole hearts. I pray that no matter what they choose to "be" when they grow up, that they will always BE fully-His first. He will direct their paths, I have no doubt.

So.... as we start this new path, pray with us, that we will always have what we need. God is faithful, but it never hurts to have friends who are willing to pray for you. :)